The present invention relates to a support device, and more particularly to a support for supporting a container, such as a plastic trashbag, which is generally incapable of supporting itself in an open, upright position.
Recent years have seen a marked increase in the use of containers, such as plastic trashbags. Plastic trashbags are preferred by many persons due to their relatively low cost, their ability to hold large quantities of material, and their ease of disposal. Additionally, as it requires less time for a sanitation worker to place a plastic bag into a garbage truck than to empty a garbage can into a garbage truck, several communities have suggested or mandated the use of plastic trash bags for holding household refuse.
However, plastic trash bags have several drawbacks. One drawback is that plastic trashbags are generally incapable of supporting themselves in an open, upright position.
The inability to be self-supporting hampers the use of plastic trash bags. For example, in their unsupported state, the user must generally use one hand to hold the bag open while using the other hand to place the refuse in the bag. Often, the user is required to bend over to grab the bag to hold it open. Thus, it will be appreciated that the use of the bag would be greatly facilitated if the user were not forced to bend over to open the bag, and were able to have both hands free to pick up refuse and place it in bag. This problem can be especially annoying when undertaking tasks such as placing large quantities of leaves in a trashbag.
To overcome these difficulties, many users have placed plastic trashbags in a wide variety of supports. For example, many users will place a plastic trashbag in a conventional garbage container. Although a conventional garbage container does serve as a good support for a trashbag, several disadvantages exist with the use of conventional garbage containers. One disadvantage is that conventional garbage containers tend to be relatively expensive (when compared to the support of the instant invention). A second disadvantage is that the existence of a bottom on the traditional garbage container forces the user to separate the trashbag from the container by lifting the bag out of the garbage container. As can be appreciated, the weight of a fully-loaded trashbag can cause difficulty for many users.
One known device for overcoming these problems attendant to the use of a conventional garbage container to support a trashbag is the EASY BAGGER (tm) interior support, which is manufactured by WILMARC INC., of Indianapolis, Indiana 46205, the assignee of the instant application. The EASY BAGGER generally comprises a rectangular plastic sheet which can be disposed in the interior of a trashbag for supporting the trashbag. Although the EASY BAGGER liner represents a marked improvement over a conventional garbage container, room for improvement still exists.
One other difficulty with conventional garbage cans is that their generally rigid shape and bulk causes them to require a large amount of storage space to store. This storage space can be especially burdensome to someone such as a caterer who is required to transport a large number of containers from the caterer's place of business to the site of a job, and then return the containers back to its place of business.
It is therefore one object of the present invention to provide a generally inexpensive support for a non-self supporting container, which is reusable but disposable, and which facilitates the separation of the container from the trashbag it supports.